Display sign



May 28, 1940. R. B. FLEMING DISPLAY SIGN Filed Allg. 51, 1958 @Awa/@ Patented May 2s, 1940 u 7 Y -Robert B. Fleming, ll'enniore, N. Y., assignorto4 r Edward J. Brlinnen'uffalo,A N. Y. y

'l :Application August sp1, iss'sseriai No. 227,796k

` 2 claims;l (Cl. io-76)" V invention relates generally to an advertising display but more particularly toa changeable sign.designed for advertising and likepurpo's'es. AMjlt'jhas for Yone of its Aobjects to provide a sign of this character which is so designed and con-v fstructedA as to. create a novel, distinctivel and @automatic changing Aposition or appearance to 'therebymattra'ctattention, and which produces a plurality of,` different. sign displays at predeterfnlin'edv intervalsfrom one composite `unit or assembly. I

Another object of the inventionviws to provide a wchangeable sign having. a plurality vof juxtaposed, .independently movable sign .panels bearing sign data-ena plurality of its `faces to collectively create a composite sign when` exposed for dis'- .p lay, andmeans engageable with` the sign panels lfor successively moving or turning themgatrpredeterminedintervals to one displayfposition or another. 4 -r f A further object is theproyision of a sign 4of this character which is simple, compact and-inexpensive in construction `andjvvhich is reliable` and 'eflicient in operation. fOther. featurevsfofwthe invention reside in ,the constructionand arrange-V ment of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed. out in theappended clairns."`

' In thev accompanying drawing: f g

Figure 1.. is a. front elevation of my improved sign showing the'sign elements or` panels in one position to create a given sign display. Figure 2 is a similar View but showing the Same sign ele# ments in a different position to create another sign display. Figure 3 is an enlarged rear view of the sign with the rear `.cover plate removed. Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken substantially in the plane of liney 1 -fl, Figure 3. Figure 5 is a Afragmentary perspective view of a pairy of adjoining sigh` panels and the means associated therewith for effecting the movement of such panels to different sign-displaying positions. Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View .of a modified construction for individually retaining each sign-panel in a given position as well as for cushioning its movement to a given display vposition. Figure 'l is a fragmentary perspective view showing a-modied construction for retaining the sign-panels in properly alined display DOSition.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to ythe drawing, I0 indicates the` casing which may be o-f any appropriate shape and construction and 'in which the various working parts of the sign are mounted and housed,

its front side being` provided with an opening Il for the display of ythe sign.

1 Extending. across the open front side of the casing are a plurality of individually and independentlymovable sign elements or panels l2 .5

' having sign-*data on a plurality of faces thereof and disposed 'sidev by sidey in uniform or symmetrical fashion to collectively produce aunitary yor composite sign display when one side or another of Vthe sign-panels Aare exposed. to. view, so as to producega't` `one time; for example,Y the display pictured inFigurefl-and at another time the disy play seenvin Figurez. These sign-panels are,.by preference, disposed vertically in substantially contiguous I parallel relation in aY-common plane in the-iront portion `of the casing and each is in# dividually mounted to vswivel orv revolve about upright -pivot-pins- I3p rojecting centrally from the upper andlower ends thereof and-detachably `seatedfin 'companion bearing-sockets or Iopenings formedin bearing plates I4, I5 applied to the casing along the upper and lower edges of its openingqI I'. v,The panels disclosedgherein are in .the form of slats and provide two faces .for bearing sign-data, and indisplayposition are just spaced yat their opposing. edges sufciently to provide.properredge-clearance `for relative turning ln'lovernent.`

[dit its Y. ,lowerfend y. and` concealed from view, 30 each panelr I2 is provided with a plurality of y' radial vanes or trip elements I6 which may be .secured toor form an integral part of the companionpivot-pin I3 and each of which in a predetermined position, is adapted to project over andin the operating path of an actuating mem# ber I1 common to thek several panels yand having one or more lugs or tappets ,I8 thereon disposed for. engagement with companion panel-vanes in its path, whereby the panels from end to end of 40 the casing `are successively-turned or reversed about their pivots a distance of 180 degrees to effect the disappearance of one sign display, say

the one shown in Figuref'l, and bring into view the `other sign display shown in Figure 2, the cycle of operations being continuous to alternately display the respective signs. By preference, each sign-panel has four equidistant radial vanes I6 thereon and the actuating member is in the form of an endless band of belt connected at its ends to companion pulleys I9 applied to shafts v20 mounted in the lower portion of the casing I0, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This band is adapted to be driven continuously at a comparatively slow speed Vand to this end one of these pulleys includes a second pulley 2i connected by a belt 22 to a suitable driving motor 23, which may be of the electric or any other well known type. The actuating member or belt IT is preferably provided with two adjoining tappets i8, so that the leading tappet will iirst encounter those trip-vanes I6 of the several panels in its direct path to turn each panel a quarter turn, following which the trailing tappet will encounter the next presented tripl vane of each panel and turn it another quarter turn, to thereby successively turn or ip the several panels a half revolution during the travel of the tappets past the respective panels and present the opposite faces thereof to View to alternately change the sign display. While four trip elements and two companion tappets are desirable to produce a smooth and quiet turning action of the sign panels, it is to be understood that the panels may be flipped by providing but two diametrically-disposed trip elements and one tappet, in which case each panel is turned a half revolution at each tappet-contact with a companion trip element.

For the purpose of yieldingly restraining the turning of the sign-panels I2 and maintaining them in uniform or properly alined display position, I provide a swinging bail 24, which is common to and bears against the rear sides of the several panels, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and which is hinged at its ends at 25 to the sides of the casing I0, a light spring 26 being applied thereto for urging it against such panels. lf desired, however, each panel may be provided with a cam-like member 21 with which a at spring 28 bears, as shown in Figure 6, whereby the several panels are individually governed in their turning movements and maintained in proper alinement in sign-displaying position.

In Figure 7 I have shown a further modified arrangement for retaining the sign-panels in display position, wherein one of the trip-vanos IE is provided at its lower edge with a teat or projection 29 adapted to register and drop by gravity into one or the other of a pair of shallow radial grooves 30 formed in the adjoining face of the bearing plate l when the companion sign-panel is presented in one or the other of its display positions. During turning or flipping of the sign-panels, their teats 29 ride freely out of the registering grooves.

I claim as my invention:

1. A changeable sign of the character described, comprising a casing having a sign dis-k play-opening in its front side, bearing plates applied to the upper and lower edges of said display-opening and having bearing sockets therein, a plurality of individually movable signpanels of substantially Slat-like form disposed in edgewise relation in the plane of said casingopening to provide acomposite display and each bearing sign data on its opposite faces and pivot pins projecting centrally from the upper and lower ends thereof engageable with companion sockets in said bearing plates, trip elements extending radially from one of the pivot pins of each sign-panel, shafts journaled in the front portion of said casing at opposite ends thereof and below the sign-panels and at right angles to the pivot pins thereof, pulleys applied to said shafts, an endless belt engaging said pulleys and having tappet means applied to the outer face thereof for operative engagement with said trip elements for successively and intermittently imparting a swiveling movement to the sign-panels to expose one side or the other to display position, a source of power connected to one vof said pulley-shafts, and resilient retaining means operatively associated with the sign-panels for releasably retaining them in their alined display position.

2. A changeable sign of the character described, comprising a plurality of individually movable sign-panels disposed in substantially edgewise relation to provide a composite display and each bearing sign data on a plurality of its faces, means for mounting said sign-panels for individual swiveling movement to expose one side or another of their sign-data-bearing faces, an actuating means for moving said sign-panels at predetermined times to different display positions, complementary means applied to said signpanels and to said actuating means for governing the successive swiveling movements of the sign-panels to such positions, and a yieldablysuspended bail engageable with the sign-panels for releasably retaining them in uniform display position.

ROBERT B. FLEMING. 

